valve
A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a space, such as a pipe, manifold, or plenum.
Example
“An oil refinery has an impressively vast number and variety of valves.”
Other meanings
Such a device that admits fuel and air into the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, or one that allows combustion gases to exit.
One or more membranous partitions, flaps, or folds, which permit the passage of the contents of a vessel or cavity in one direction, but stop or control the flow in the opposite direction.
Kinds of valve
- heart valve
Related words
- valval
- quadrivalve
- trivalve
- equivalve
- univalve
- valvoplasty
- valvar
- aortic valve
- atrioventricular valve
- bag valve mask
- ball valve
- Bauhin's valve
Example sentences
Word history
From Latin "valva" (double door, valve).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “valve” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.